Bathia_Mapes:I'm pretty sure Walmart's shoplifter procedures apply to their employees only, not an off duty cop who happened to be there .

He didn't just happen to be there. From the Daily Mail arty:

'We hire off duty officers to provide security to some of our stores. While we have policies in place for our associates to disengage from situations that might put them or others in harm's way, off-duty officers working at a WM store are authorized to act in accordance with their department's code of conduct.'

Bathia_Mapes:I'm pretty sure Walmart's shoplifter procedures apply to their employees only, not an off duty cop who happened to be there .

He didn't just "happen to be there", he was paid by Wal-Mart to stand around in uniform as a deterrent, and do any police-type stuff if the need arose, or at least call for the on-duty guys. Ever seen cops at a concert or sporting event? They're "off-duty", being paid by the venue or promoter to be there.

But what about the security guard that put the shoplifter in Atlanta in a headlock two weeks ago, and somehow the shoplifter wound up dead by the time the cops showed up? He worked for a private security company, not directly for Wal-Mart, but wasn't he still expected to follow Wal-Mart policies regarding shoplifters, and, you know, not kill them?

Extra jobs that cops take on are invariably on a "contract" basis, rather than as an actual employee of the business or event; however, were the cop to take a second job as a contracted truck driver, wouldn't he be expected to follow the company policy as well? (e.g., things like no offensive bumper stickers when hauling trailers with the company logo, no passengers when hauling company-owned freight, mandatory stops every four hours even when not legally required, etc.) How about as a contracted accountant during tax season? What if he were to receive a contract from the city to provide lawn maintenance, could the city require that he wear an orange vest while mowing, even though he is not legally required to do so?

The point is that cop or no, Wal-Mart can dictate policy he is required to follow. Also, since he was being paid by Wal-Mart to be there, Wal-Mart could very well face some liability in a wrongful death suit, especially if it is proven he fired into a vehicle moving away from him.

ox45tallboy:DON.MAC: Far less likely to have your family pay for the bullet at least.

At least they're on sale in the sporting goods department.

I took an Aussie girlfriend to Texas Wal-mart at about 3 am (recent arrival, jet lag, needed stuff, it was open). She wondered over to the hunting section and was flirting with the kid behind the counter and was asking if she could buy a gun and which one should she get. It was insane.

AbbeySomeone:Perhaps if he hadn't attempted to force his way into the vehicle this may not have happened.

Most cops I know are already pretty damned tired when they get to these off-duty gigs, having already put in an eight-hour shift hunting down miscreants. Most of the time, they don't want to work, and will happily just call in some on-duty guys to handle an arrest.

I don't want to go too far into conjecture, but if a woman smacks a cop with her purse, regardless of if she had a good reason, the cop is probably not going to be happy about it, and might decide to chase after her. He's probably not going to let her drive (or get into a car and ride) away without teaching her that smacking a cop with your purse is unacceptable behavior in civilized society. Some cops, depending on the circumstances, might feel that a brief verbal exposition might be sufficient; others might feel that there should be some kind of physical reinforcement to the lesson. Virtually none, however, will let it slide, as this is seen as an affront not merely to the individual cop, but to the badge.

I don't know of any police procedure which allows for effecting arrest under these circumstances for simple petty theft when the cop is on foot with no backup and the suspects are attempting to flee by car. The cop is placing himself in danger in these circumstances, and cops are trained to look out for their own safety before the safety of others. He has a radio. Call in the license plate and have the on-duty guys bring the suspects back for your lecture/tazing/beatdown. Shooting at a fleeing car might look great in an action movie, but it makes you look like a total dick unconcerned with public safety when it happens in real life.

ox45tallboy:I don't want to go too far into conjecture, but if a woman smacks a cop with her purse, regardless of if she had a good reason, the cop is probably not going to be happy about it, and might decide to chase after her. He's probably not going to let her drive (or get into a car and ride) away without teaching her that smacking a cop with your purse is unacceptable behavior in civilized society. Some cops, depending on the circumstances, might feel that a brief verbal exposition might be sufficient; others might feel that there should be some kind of physical reinforcement to the lesson. Virtually none, however, will let it slide, as this is seen as an affront not merely to the individual cop, but to the badge.

Sheriff's spokesman Thomas Gilliland says Campbell chased one of the suspects after she hit him. The woman then entered a car. Gilliland says that when Campbell opened the car's door, the vehicle accelerated. The deputy was standing between the car door and driver's seat and, fearing for his life, fired his weapon.